Blockchain plus 3D printing equals 'smart manufacturing' and Ethereum you can touch

Genesis of Things is a new "smart manufacturing" project which leverages intellectual horsepower from members of the Ethereum community.

The project was established and launched just a few weeks before DevCon2 in Shanghai. It has produced a tangible proof of concept in the form of a set of 3D printed titanium cufflinks inscribed with a QR code and bearing the insignia of the Ethereum logo.

Genesis of Things combines 3D printing, blockchain and IoT in a virtuous, futuristic flow that re-imagines manufacturing processes. The company is in stealth right now and more details about how it operates and possible use cases will be released going forward.

It should be repeated that the cufflinks pictured are a proof of concept; this is not a commercial product but rather a limited edition to show the potential of the technology.

They have a mass customised binary serial number on the side which connects this individual item within the manufacturing process, and anchors its specific design on the blockchain.

Dr Carsten Stoecker who worked on the proof of concept said Genesis of Things is a trusted, encrypted and open platform for the entire 3D printing supply chain.

He told IBTimes: "Intellectual Property scales globally and stays protected, each printed product has its own ID and digital product memory. Supply chain processes including trade finance are automated.

"Ethereum is going mainstream and connecting with the physical world. We wanted to demonstrate that with the cufflink. People can feel and touch it.

"When you touch the cufflink it feels a bit rough at the surface. That's a nice analogy to working with a brand new technology. And the experience is improving very fast now."

"Every product has a story: where it came from; how it was made; how we use it. Until now, the story has been hidden from our eyes.